The Republican convention in Cleveland has received less than stellar reviews so far this week. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) putting down a rebellion on the floor to open up the nomination to other candidates was not something we’re used to seeing at a GOP convention. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) had his speech upstaged by Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, who gave an impassioned speech Monday in defense of her husband but soon found herself accused of plagiarism. The similarities between Mrs. Trump’s speech and Michelle Obama’s address at the 2008 Democratic convention that nominated her husband were unmistakable.
The Trump campaign at first insisted that the similarities were just coincidence, but it’s obvious someone had copied a couple of paragraphs from Mrs. Obama’s keynote address and pasted them into Mrs. Trump’s speech.
Mrs. Obama: “Do the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect.”
Mrs. Trump: “….the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect.”
Mrs. Obama: “Her integrity, her compassion and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters.”
Mrs. Trump: “Their integrity, compassion and intelligence reflects to this day on me and for my love of family and America.”
Mrs. Obama: “Pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
Mrs. Trump: “Pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
When exposed, plagiarism is always embarrassing. But why lift passages from a Democratic First Lady who’s as unpopular with the Republican base as Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren? It would have been wrong for a Republican keynote speaker to take passages from Nancy Reagan or Barbara Bush, but perhaps more in line ideologically, and with proper attribution, it would have been a teachable moment.
A simple apology in either case would have been appropriate. The Trump campaign will probably blame a couple of young interns for the plagiarism, but how sad that this unfortunate incident has cast a shadow over Melania’s moment in the spotlight.
Note to students in our area: Please don’t try this when doing your homework.
